Lightning-arrester.



No. 658,976 Patented om. 2, |900.

F. B. 600K.

LIGHTNING ARRESTER.

'Applicltion led Feb. 7, 1900.)

(No nodal.)

13 HEMHNHHHHIHHIM Hm HMM *MHH IIIIIHIHIHHHI UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK B. COOK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LIGHTNING-ARRESTER.

l SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 658,976, dated October 2, 1900,

Application filed February 7, 1900. b'erial No. 4,337. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that LFRANK B. COOK, a citizen of the United States ot' America, and a resident of Chicago, Cook county; Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improve" ments in Lightning-Arresters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in that class of strong-current protective devices Which are clearly described in the patents of Jenks, No. 437,362, dated September 30, 1890, and White, NOASSJSS, dated October2l, 1890. This class of apparatus is more particularly designed to protect the instruments of a telegraph or telephone system and persons using the same from the injury which may result from the encroachment of abnormal electric currents of a disruptive character. To accomplish this result, I employ two conducting-plates with their faces held opposed and in close proximity to each other, with a space between them, one or both of said plates having a cavity or recess therein, and a circuitmaker normally held out of a circuit-closing position by means of a mass of non-conducting material disposed in the cavity or recess, which is melted or fused under the influence of the heat created bythe abnormal disruptive discharge of the currentacross or between the plates, whereby the circuit-maker is released to close a circuit between the plates, and thereby divert the dangerous current from the line to the ground or earth.

Reference may now be had to the accompanying drawings for a more particular description of my invention, in which- Figure lis a sectional view and side elevation of the improved arrester. Fig. 2 is a detailed sectional view of the plates with the contact-maker in its normal position held out of circuit-closing position. Fig. 3 is a like view after the melting of the non-conductor .by the abnormal current, showing the circuit- Fig. 4 is a positioned and held between the carbon plates. This dielectric may be of mica, with a single large opening, or of silk, which latter material has a plurality of openings. The plate A2 is connected to a ground and the plate A is connected to the line.

I will now describe the means for establishing a conducting-path between the plates under the influence of the heat generated by the encroaching abnormal current.

As shown, the recessesff are formed, respectively, in each one of the carbon plates A A2, within each of which recesses is packed a suitable quantity of wax (designated at h) or other suitable material which will melt into a liquid or approximately-liquid condition under the iniiuence of heat. Embedded within the wax in each of the pockets is a ball of good conducting material, (designated atj.) When by reason of the disruptive discharge across the space between the two carbon plates, and the wax in the recesses is melted, by the heat thus generated these conducting-balls are released and permitted to roll together, by gravity, owing to the shape of the recess, and when together, as they are stillin contact with the carbon plates and in contact with each other, they establish a couducting-path between the plates, and thus close the line-circuit to earth through the protector.

From the foregoing description it is evident that I provide means wherebyacircuit maker or closer or switch is normally Withheld from closing` the circuit by means of a mass of nonconducting material, which when melted releases the circuit makeror closer, which then assumes a circuit-closing position.

What I claim isl. A high-tension arrester, or current-protecting device, consisting of carbon plates held adjacent to each other but separated from one another, a mass of nou-conducting material adapted to be melted into a liquid, or semiliquid form and a movable conductor normally held out of contact by the material aforesaid,which conductor is adapted t0 make contact between the plates when said material is melted.

2. A high-tension arrester, or current-protective device, consisting of carbon plates held adjacent to each other, but separated IOO from one another, a cup-shaped recess or cavity in one or both of the carbon plates, a mass ot' non-conducting material adapted to be melted into a liquid or semiliqnid form, and a ball or balls of conducting material, held by the non-conducting material, which when released by the non-conducting' material falls by gravity into a position to close the circuit between the plates.

3. A high-tension arrester, or currenteprotecting device, consisting of carbon plates held adjacent to each other, but separated from one another, a recess or cavity in one or both of the carbon plates, a mass of non-conducting` material adapted to be melted into a I5 liquider;semiliquid state held within the recess or cavity, anda movable contact-maker, normally withheld by the material aforesaid, which is adapted when said material is melted to establish a conducting-path between the carbon;v plates.

Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 26th day of January, 1900.

FRANK B. COOK.

Vitnesses: Y

CHAs. C. BULKLEY, l; E. MELDRUM. 

